The StorytellerProverbs 18: 21; The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Tell me your story…….
He is probably one of the biggest estate developers in Kenya. He inspires me and I admire his ways. Success is written all over his life. He once gave me his compelling story, a classic from rags to riches story.
An architect by profession, he set out to venture into the estate developers’ world. A practicing architect without a penny but with a big dream. He approached a land owner and sold the idea of a joint venture. He created the concept; high end residential estate in a serene environment approx. 10km from Nairobi’s CBD. It is never easy to convince these old Wazee to get into such ventures but with a sweet tongue he convinced this old man.
Next stop was the bank. He sat down with the credit officer and took him through the concept. The officer gave him a long list of requirements including what they call developer’s equity; capital investment he ought to bring forth and the bank to finance the rest. Of course he never had a penny and so the officer dismissed him. Bank 2, 3 ,4 and 5 same story till he almost gave up. Then someone told him to visit one of the so called ‘small banks’ and some guy with some huge targets to meet somehow bought his story and convinced the manager that his idea was worth the risk and a try. So he finally nailed the financing and delivered his maiden project; quite successful it was. They say the rest is history. As we speak he does projects worth billions.
He believed in his dream. He told his story in a compelling way. As we speak, banks are all over him to finance his ventures. Infact, he one day forced one of the big banks to write him an apology having dismissed him when he really needed financing. You can imagine a bank apologizing to an individual. He is worth so much and the banks know it. He really values the partnership with the so called small bank. A valued friend; like the one my dad used to tell me about; one who made him one day slaughter a hen which was in the process of incubating eggs; quite a sacrifice for any farmer.
The Storyteller element invokes excitement in others when conveying the dream. He knows that without encouragement and excitement no dream has a chance to become reality. He begins to "speak" the dream or to "sing" the song. The Storyteller in essence represents life and is where The Dreamer and The Thinker find voice.
Back to Otieno. So sad to say that his dream died and he recoiled to working in a welding workshop as an employee. This was after all his comfort zone. The owner of the workshop will deal with the business issues and him he will do what he is best at; manufacturing the nice products. In short, his business idea died and Otieno boomeranged to the technician mode….he froze to his shell of comfort.
He failed in many areas but one key one is the Leader element; the executor of the dream. We will look at the leader element in the next post.
When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty
of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator.